More Articles neighbors

comment

WESTPORT/GREENWICH, Conn. — Greenwich native Nicole Pozzi wanted to hold a fundraiser for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, but she didn't want to host a cocktail hour.

So Pozzi decided to host a SoulCycle spin class, instead. It is scheduled for Sunday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m at SoulCycle Westport, 372 Post Road East.

“I thought why not have this amazing brand to work with and do something both exhilarating and fun (while) raising money for a great cause,” Pozzi told The Daily Voice on Monday.

SoulCycle seemed like the natural outlet for Pozzi’s fundraiser. She often attends SoulCycle classes in New York in Greenwich in between hitting the books at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

“It’s been such an amazing positive outlet for me," Pozzi said, adding that she made a point to visit SoulCyle during her treatment even if she felt ill.

The cause is near to Pozzi’s heart. She was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease after returning home from a family vacation to Turkey.

Following a wonderful dinner by the water during one night of her vacation, Pozzi woke up the next morning in excruciating pain. She fell violently ill, but she initially thought she had food poisoning.

When she returned to the U.S., she was diagnosed with the disease and prescribed Remicade, a strong drug that requires her to be in the hospital every few weeks for a four-hour intravenous treatment.

Pozzi’s symptoms appeared suddenly. Because of a lack of understanding of the disease, those that have symptom's of Crohn's disease may not realize they have it, Pozzi said.

“A lot of people have some type of stomach pain and they write it off as food poisoning or a stomach bug,” Pozzi said. “And it could be an indication of something greater.”

While many people are embarrassed by a stomach or intestinal disorder, Pozzi said people are becoming aware of such medical issues.

Asked what she would say to patients diagnosed with the disease, Pozzi said that a positive mindset and support from family and friends is key to a successful treatment.

“It’s a very unpredictable roller coaster" Pozzi said. "But if you can find the silver lining and really put mind over matter, have a positive outlook and try to find the best support network that you can, then I think you will...be able to overcome the disease.”

To register for Pozzi’s event or to make a donation in her honor, visit her fundraising page
here
.